Typically, communications with satellites in space is conducted utilizing ground stations containing radio antennas. Multiple stations are coordinated to maintain a link with a specific satellite according to the trace of its orbit around the Earth. Much of the synchronization and handing off of information from one earth station to another is accomplished via non-automatic means. This disadvantage is particularly acute in situations in which finite communication resources, e.g., ground stations, are multiplexed across multiple space missions, as is often the case.